


Coming out

by DieWithHonor



Series: Oh look, it's a love story [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non-explicit slash, past bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 01:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9944312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DieWithHonor/pseuds/DieWithHonor
Summary: This is part two of my romance story between Neal and Craig (OMC).They are going to tell Peter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for all my mistakes, English is not my first language.  
> Warnings for a little bit of SLASH and Neal is quite OOC.  
> Hope you enjoy it :)!

Hoping no to disturb Neal in his sleep, Craig stood up pulling the blanket over his boyfriend again. He stroked his hair while pressing a soft kiss on his temple. He was in this relationship for 3 months-3 fucking months now and he still couldn’t believe his luck. Actually it had been 3 months and 14 days...jep he was counting...why wouldn’t he-Neal was the most incredible person he has ever met. 

He sighed again, trying to push down his worry about this day. They had agreed to finally tell Peter. Not only that it was his coming out as gay and Neal already didn’t know how his partner would react to this, but he also had to tell the agent, that he had lied about his relationship with Kate. Not that he believed in Peter as a homophobic asshole-at least not after what he heard about him-but it could be the same as it was with Neal’s best friend in high school. 

Danny Brooks-Neal had said he was a very nice guy until he found out about Neal’s sexual preference. He changed than-slowly but he changed. He wasn’t mean-at least not at the beginning-but he would not touched him or hug him anymore and if Neal tried to come near him, like they used to, he would flinched away. Some weeks later he would even push him and also hit him.

Neal stayed friends with him because it was the only one who was at least sometimes nice to him, or talked to him like a normal person if he wasn’t too close. He would often get beaten up by some other pupils. Not only was his homosexuality a reason but also was he younger than the others. Neal had skipped two classes. Also was he a very skinny and shy kid. He was never good at meeting new people, mostly the ex-con was just stuttering and not even able to form right words. He had been so different back in the school days. Now  
Neal was a fairly good actor, hiding his feelings from other, hiding the hurt and the pain.

A cold hand clenched around Craig’s heart as he imaged a sweet, happy and nice kid, new in class, hopeful to meet new friends, open for the world, beaten up by some idiots for no reason and hated by someone he once called his only friend just because he liked men. 

If he ever met this guy he will let him feel all the pain Neal had felt. He stood up from the bedside and went outside at the balcony. It was kind of early and the sun was just about to rise. The city looked beautiful in the upcoming daylight. He could already hear some cars driving and see some people leaving the house to get to work.

Sighing he continued watching until he felt some arms coming around him from behind and Neal pressing against him, face buried in Craig bare tattooed back. He smiled and turned around without breaking the contact. 

Soon he found himself looking in two beautiful blue eyes, which were still half closed and dazed from sleep. Grinning softly over this enormous amount of cuteness he captured Neal’s face with his hands and pressed a gently kiss against his lips.

“Y’ ya ‘wake?” Neal slurred with from sleep heavy voice. 

“Just woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.” He didn’t mean to worry Neal with the apprehension, that everything could end in misery, today. 

“Lia-Yawn-r.” Craig sighed. 

“I’m just a little worried. I mean I’m still thinking everything will be okay but I just can’t help it. Peter sounds fucking nice and the things you tell me about him-I swear if he wouldn’t be married and 100% straight I would be really jealousy – so you see there is no reason for me to think that, but maybe he is just like Danny.”

He could feel Neal flinch by this name. 

“Peter is nothing like him.” Neal said but still something unsure and insecure was to hear in the voice. 

“I really, really hope so. But maybe I’m just a bit paranoid about this, hm...” He pressed a kiss to Neal’s temple, as he saw how upset his boyfriend looked another one followed.

“Hey...I’m sorry I didn’t mean to worry you. Come on sweetheart-everything will be okay.” With proud he noticed that he sounded surer about that than he felt.

“A-and if not?” Neal looked at him with theses baby blue eyes pleading to protect him from whatever bad thing would come.

“Then I’ll be there. We will sort this out, together. We will make it through your time with the FBI and then we will go. Anywhere we want, just the two of us, nobody is going to stop us.”

Neal smiled slightly and still shaky.

“You’re being mushy again.”, he said afterwards, muffled by Craig’s chest, which rumbled with low laughter.

“Come on. Let’s go back to sleep.” He pushed Neal back inside and onto the bed, climbing in beside him.

As he took him into his arms again he could feel the younger man’s fingers clenching his shirt like a lifeline. Craig began to rub circles on his back until he could hear calm breath  
and the felt the grip relaxing. After a final kiss on Neal’s temple he slipped into sleep himself.

~_~

It was seven when he woke up again, Neal still in his arms, snoring lightly. Grinning he tried to free himself from the younger man’s grip. After some minutes he managed to do so without waking his lover. 

Quietly he went to the bathroom and got ready for work. He finished showering and woke Neal gently. Instead of getting up the ex-con watched him get dressed, grinning slightly  
as Craig’s muscular body moved hastily around the room.

“I thought about getting a tattoo myself.”

Craig laughed.

“Now? Really? I told you this since I know you. And just to remind you-YOU were the one who always told me this wouldn’t suit you.”

“Can’t I change my mind?” Neal responded smiling.

“Mhm...”Craig purred while moving over to the bed and leaning over his boyfriend “Where? Somewhere only I get to see it?” he smirked and placed a kiss on Neal’s forehead, kissing  
his face to his lips.

Slowly going further down his neck and chest. As he circled his nipples Neal let out a low groan and threw his head back, before burying his face in his pillow. 

“S-Stop it...you have to go to w-work.”

“Fuck work.” Craig whispered pressing a kiss to Neal’s lips.

His hands went down further and further and...his phone rang. Groaning he pulled away and took the call.

“Dunham?...Yeah, sure...I’ll be right there.”

“Have to get going baby.” He kissed Neal one last time and left the ex-con behind with a...kinda hard situation. 

Sighing he got up and headed to the shower. Slowly he touched himself thinking about Craig rough big hands, while stroking faster and faster...he didn’t last long.

He got ready as quickly as he could ‘cause Peter would pick him up at 8. Neal was already nervous about this evening. His breath was getting faster and he had to sit down on his  
bed because his knees where getting wobbly. Shakily he exhaled burying his face in his hands. The ex-con tried to calm himself down and almost overheard his phone.

It was a message from Peter, telling him to hurry up. Taking one last deep breath he stood up and almost ran down the stairs not wanting to annoy Peter further. He greeted June briefly and went outside to the car with a wide grin, which was covering his nervousness. 

“Morning”

“Morning”

‘Peter doesn’t look that angry’, Neal though. 

The agent actually didn’t look angry or even annoyed at all, but he was too much concentrating on not panicking to notice that Peter even was in a very good mood.

“Everything alright?” The younger man heard his friend asked him some minutes later.

“What?...Oh...uhm yeah sure.” He tried to grin carefree, which worked better than he expect. “Actually, I was wondering if we could have dinner today, with El I mean. I just  
thought...uhm...we didn’t do this in a long time...so...”

“Sure.”

“...we don’t have to...I just...you know...I think you would like this...or...uhm...we could do it some other time...or...wait what?”

“I said sure, I’d like that.”

“Oh...really...good okay. Uhm...Is there a problem if I bring someone?”

“Is this someone Mozzie?”

“N-no.”

“Then sure.”

“Okay...alr-what do you have against Mozzie?”

Peter laughed. 

“Nothing...just don’t want my house turned upside down before I get my food, just because some guy still has the idea I’m hiding some bugging device.”

Neal grinned.

“He is not that bad any-“Peter raised one eyebrow “Okay maybe he is.” 

Peter just smiled but then frowned.

“If it’s not Mozzie than-Oh! I get it.” His grin widened. “Does someone have a new girlfriend?”

“Uhm...”

“Ha! I knew it. And now you’re going to introduce her to us. Wow...it’s not like I wouldn’t already feel enough like your father.”

Neal didn’t hear the rest what the agent was saying.  
‘Father? Had he really just said...wow...that can’t...does he really see me like that?’ Neal couldn’t help but grinning, but this grin vanished from his face fast. ‘Oh god...this is worse...shit...this will definitely be so much worse if Peter hates me after today. Fuck...I can’t lose this...no, no, no...’

His breath sped up again. 

“Neal?” he heard a worried voice call from what seemed wide away. 

He didn’t recognise that Peter had pulled over and had a hand on his shoulder.

“Neal? Ya’ okay? No wait don’t answer that...you clearly are not. Just...uhm...calm down buddy...it’s alright.”

Neal’s breath normalized itself slowly.

“It’s okay...really Peter.” He told Peter unconvincingly and tried to smile.

“Jup sure I’m absolutely believing that. Come on Neal-what’s going on?”

“It’s...Peter...I’ll explain it in the evening, okay?”

“So you’re not going to introduce your girlfriend to us then?” Peter said smiling nervously.

“Uhm...it’s a little more complicate than that.”

“What’s with her? Is she a criminal or in some problems?”

Neal sighed still a little shakily.

“No...it’s...no. Let’s talk about this in the evening okay?” he looked at Peter more pleadingly than he intend to.”

“I...Neal...okay.”

The rest of the drive was silent.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter tried to finish his paperwork but after he had read the same sentence the tenth time he gave it up. His mind was fixed on Neal. Why the hell did he have a fucking panic attack in his car? The agent exhaled slowly and looked out of his office at Neal’s desk.

His partner was working faster than he was used too. It seems like he wanted to do everything right. Also after he had seen the large papers stack on his desk in the morning and had looked like he was going to kill someone, Neal had rushed into his office and taken over almost all of the files, without a word. Not that Peter would complaint but it was still very odd, especially for Neal. 

The rest of the day went by fast, at least for Peter. But for Neal everything was happening in slow mode. With every hour that passed he was getting even more nervous than he was in the morning, his breath was hitching from time to time and his hands shook like mad. 

When the day finally was over he would stand up from his desk and walk out of the building completely automatic. He even oversaw Craig’s car and walked past him, so that his boyfriend had to run after him and guided him back in the passenger seat of his silver Aston Martin Vantage V12 S and yes, that really was his car.  
When Neal first had seen it he had asked Craig if he had stolen it from some rich lawyer, before his boyfriend told him that he actually WAS some rich lawyer. He could just image the face when Neal was finally allowed to leave his 2 mile radius and visit his flat. His 3 level flat with his own elevator. God, that will be funny.

He threw a worried gaze at his boyfriend who was sitting staring blankly out of the window. As they reached Neal’s flat he almost had to carry him up the stairs and pushed him down on the bed, while putting Neal’s jacked away and losing his tie.

“Neal...baby...hey...come on sweety...look at me...”  
No reaction. Craig sighed and cuddled in behind his lover, wrapping his arms around his middle, pressing him against his chest.

~_~

After an hour full of panic, Neal was finally ready sitting inside of Craig’s car. It hurt his lover that one idiot boy in Neal’s school could do this to him and it still affected Neal after 20 years. He was holding the younger man’s hand, Neal was more gripping it then holding but he didn’t seem to notice, so Craig let him.

As the older man stopped the car in front of Peter’s house, Neal didn’t move, he was again swallowing rapidly, pale like the death himself. 

“Baby...I’m going to tell ya this one last time...whatever happens today-I’m here and I’ll never leave ya...okay...you still got me.” A shaky nod.

Then he opened the door and got out of the car. Craig followed quickly. He could hear the shaky breaths of his lover, the unsure steps, that he was getting slower with every meter that brought them closer to the door. 

Neal didn’t manage to knock so Craig had to. While they waited for Peter to come and open, Neal gripped his hand again, tightly. Finally the heard footsteps and a smiling Peter   
opened the door. He smile fell a little and his face turned confused, then he laughed.

“You were nervous because of this. God Neal, what did ya think I would do? Kill you?”

“Hate me.” The ex-con whispered. 

The agent stopped laughing. 

“Why would ya think that? Do I look like some homophobic asshole?”

“It-It’s not j-just that...uhm...” 

“Maybe” Craig interrupted “we should continue that inside.”

Peter nodded and stepped aside, to let them pass.

They stepped in the kitchen just as El finished setting the table. She was looking fairly confused as he noticed Craig but then went smiling from ear to ear, also she looked like she was about to squeal.

“It’s really nice to meet you...uhm...Mister?”

“Craig is perfectly fine, Miss.”

“Then I must insist that you call me El.” She smiled and shook his outstretched hand. 

“So...before we all talk about this, I have one question.” 

“Go ahead Mr.Burke.” 

“Peter’s fine. Is the car out there yours, or did you steal it from some rich lawyer.”

Neal laughed out loud, also Craig grinned. 

“Okay...it wasn’t even that funny.” 

“No...not...it’s just...I asked him the same thing when I first saw it.” 

Craig just shook his head and answered.

“It’s mine and I’m a lawyer.”

“Wait a sec...Neal...the ex-criminal Neal George Caffrey is in a relationship with a lawyer. Ha...I never would have suspected that.”

“It gets even funnier.” grinned Neal.

“Yeah...I won a process against him.”

“Seriously? Oh wait...I knew I knew you from somewhere.” Laughed the agent and they finally settled down on the chair, while El brought the foot. 

“Steak!” both Peter and Craig exhaled loudly and happily, laughing about each other afterwards.

 

Neal and El just rolled their eyes. They ate in silence. 

“So...” Peter started after they finished and where sitting in the living room. “You said there was another reason you were nervous about telling us that you were bi, what was it?”

“Uhm...yeah...that’s the point...I’m not bi.”

“Oh sorry I just thought…but okay then you straight and just like him, there isn’t a problem in it.”

Neal threw a helpless gaze to Craig as he noticed his breathing speeding up again. The older man hugged Neal close with one arm and kissed the top of his head.

“I-I’m gay...”

“But...Kate.” asked El confused.

“I...” he breathed shakily, closed his eyes and leaned against his boyfriend. “I loved her. Just...Just not like that.” 

“So you lied to me.” Neal flinched at Peter’s softly spoken words.

“I-I’m sorry...I...I just...You thought we were together...and i-it was easier than telling y-you. I just don’t have that m-much of good ex-experience of telling people I-I’m g-gay.”

“You know what Neal...we will make a deal.”

Neal looked at, confusion and angst written over his face.

“I will forgive you this lie, when...” Peter made a very serious face “When your boyfriend here...let me...” a dramatic pause “drive his precious car.” Still with a completely serious face   
he starred at Neal, who let out a laugh. It definitely sounded more like a sob and Peter could see the tears in his eyes, but he was smiling wildly.


End file.
